Expeditions

Only 5-10% of Earth's fungal diversity is known.

Goals

1

Discover and voucher the fungal diversity of the last wild places on Earth through exploratory expeditions.

2

Strengthening of the FFCL fungarium.

Our Work

[Credit: Mateo Barrenengoa]

Chile

Melimoyu 2022 

Melimoyu is a remote forest in the south of Chile. The Fungi Foundation went there along mycologist Jean Marc Moncalvo to explore, collect and describe its fungal diversity. Some of the discoveries include fungi located inside peatbogs.

Discover More
[Credit: Mateo Barrenengoa]

Patagonia

Underground expedition

Fungal networks sustain life on Earth. Billions of tons of carbon dioxide flow annually from plants to fungal networks, which make soils the second largest global carbon sink, after oceans. 

The Fungi Foundation joined SPUN on their first expedition to map Patagonia’s Fungal Networks at some of the fungal hotspots of Patagonia.

Discover more about Fungal Networks
[Credit: Mateo Barrenengoa]

Short Film

Let Things Rot

Directed by Mateo Barrenengoa in collaboration with Giuliana Furci, this short documentary presents the wonderful fungi queendom through a poetic perspective that reflects on the importance of allowing for natural cycles of degeneration to unfold. A visual journey through images of Chile's southern forests, the short film touches on the beauty and importance of these ecosystems while delving into the significance of decomposition and what it means for the world.

See the film
[Credit: Giuliana Furci]

Chile

Karukinka Natural Park

Exploratory expedition to Karukinka Natural Park in Magallanes, Chile, along with Dr. Donald H. Pfister and Dr. Luis Quijada, of Harvard University.

[Credit: Verónica López]

Chile

Katalalixar National Reserve

Exploratory expedition to Katalalixar National Reserve along with marine conservation NGO Oceana to explore the fungi, mosses and lichens in order to expand the protected area due to the threat of salmon farming.

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[Credit: Bryn Dentinger]

Chile

Psilocybe stametsii

A new Psilocybe species discovered in Ecuador

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The Fungi Foundation has documented hundreds of species of fungi in some of the oldest Patagonian Temperate Rainforests and has explored the fungal diversity of over 20 countries, enriching the knowledge of species and relationships between them. 

With your support, we will continue to explore wild places of earth to document Fungi for conservation, habitat protection & livelihoods of those who depend on them.

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Carolina Magnasco Russula sardonia
[Credit: Carolina Magnasco]

Where we have been